Sectional concrete dry dock



Aug. 16, 1955 E. J. QUIRIN SECTIONAL CONCRETE DRY DOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1952 l7 INVENTOR. Edward J. Quirin BY 37% 11M ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1955 E. J. QUIRIN SECTIONAL CONCRETE DRY DOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April llI 1952 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 .SECTIONAL .CONGRETE -DRY DOCK Edward-J." Quirin, GreatNeck, N. "Y.

Application April 11, 1952, Serial N0. 281,726

"ITClaims. (Cl. 114-46) tMy invention is -an improved floating dry dock conasisting of transverse .SBCllOIlS rigidly connected together to .form a pontoon hull'and wing walls extending from .endto end of the .dockalong-the tworsides of thehull.

An zimportantobjectof.myinvention is to provide a floating .dry dock in sections .made of concrete so as to save steel andothermetals .that maybe needed-for other :purposes. in preferred form-'the sections are shaped by molding and have .interiorispaces inthe hull to receive .water whenthedockds to be flooded, and additionalen- .closed spaces to serve as bnoyancy chambers and-forlo- .catingthe machinery to-operate the dock.

Another object=of my invention is to;provide a dock in which themaximum water pressure is kept as low as .possibleby the use'of buoyancy space that is-contained :in the .pontoon hull :proper. Generally specially built buoyancy chambers are used for this :purpose in the conventionaldock, but as the walls of each buoyancy space :haveto supporta .much higher ,pressure than therest of the structure, the walls thereof need to be made much heavier than :the remainder of the dock and the uniformity and continuity of the design is sacrificed to that extent. This in reinforced concrete construction means complicated form workandspecial reinforcing. The concrete is prestressed throughout.

My invention, therefore, has for a further and special object to enclose the .buoyancy space in members of tubular shape made'ot' reinforced-concrete, said members be- .ing subject to compressive stresses only in withstanding the water pressure from without. For such loading -re- .inforced concrete is admirably adapted and in order not to permit any .great bending stresses to occur .in the tubular walls, the buoyancy .members are preferably run lon- .gitudinally through circular openings in the framework of the pontoon part of each section. Said members are disposed .at a given distance between their centers and have the required diameter. A relatively low outside water pressure is thus obtained and kept constant for the entire pontoon and the paneling thereof becomes identical throughout the structure and the same forms can be used over and over again. The buoyancy tubes are readily inserted in the pontoons when they are run through the circular openings in the pontoon frames.

My invention has for an object to insure against the reversal of strain in theconcrete pontoon, and therefore the buoyancy tubes are placed widely apart on each side of the center bulkhead theerof, so that when the dock is .idle with a low pontoon freeboard the pontoon deck is kept in compression, which compression will nicely be intensified when the dock is supporting a ship thereon. It is to be noted in this connection that no extra longitudinal wash bulkheads are needed as the pipes themselves will efiectively deaden the sudden water rush from one side to the other under the pontoon.

The nature and advantages of the invention are fully and clearly set forth in the ensuing description and the novel features are pointed out in the appended claims. The drawings show a preferred embodiment of my inven- 2,715,378 Patented Aug. 16, 1955 tion, but changes in various minor" respects can be adopted without really-altering or omitting-anyof the essential characteristics.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of "half of'afloating dry dock according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section along the line in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section'on line '33 in- Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective-view ofa section ofthe dock, showing the inside construction.

Figure 5 is a sectionon line 5-5 of Figure 'l;and

Figure 6 shows part of the docka's it'appe'arswhen'the sections are assembled.

The separately built sections'of the'dry dock are indicated at S in Figure-6, each extending transverselyof the dock when the sections "are assembled. Eachse'ctidn comprises a pontoon hull 1 with upright walls 2 at its opposite ends. Each pontoon hull l'has a deck 3'and a. bottom 4. With the sections side 'by side the 'walls 2 form the wings of the dock, extending along 'the len'gth thereof at each side of the finished structure, and having inboard and outboard faces or sides 5 and 6 respectively. The hulls and upright walls of the sectionsare'connected so that the Walls 2 along each 'side'ofthe dock are alin'e'd with one another to form 'the wing walls of the dock, and the decks 3 and bottoms i'are flush throughout-to form the deck and'bottom of 'the doek'as'a 'whole. For this purpose I may use the coupling means ofany suitable construction.

The sections of the dockareof molded concrete and each section has a vertical bulkhead or partition 7 running lengthwise along the middle, between the deck 3 and bottom 4 at the center of the section. The bulkheads 7 will all be in longitudinal alinement when the dock is completed. ln'each section there are also 'tra'nsv'er s'ebulkheads 8 which intersect'the longitudinal bulkhead 7 therein and extend all the way to the outboard sides 6 of the wall 2. Such a dock, for example, may include eight sections, each having a longitudinal bulkhead 7 and, for example, five transverse bulkheads 8 therein, spaced equi-distantly apart from one another andfrom the transverse parallel walls 31 joining the deck 3 and bottom '4 and the extremities of the sides 5 and '6 of the walls 2. The general construction of each section is illustrated fully in Figure 4, which shows a portion of "the lower part of the section in perspective. Mounted in the transverse bulkheads 8 are sealed tubular members '9 which serve as buoyancy chambers, the tubes 9 of each section being closed at their ends by the walls 31 aforesaid. The junction between the top and bottom edges of each bulkhead 7 and the deck 3 and bottom 4 is reinforced by thickened ribs '10 with sides converging towards the bulkhead 7. Between the transverse bulkheads 8 each longitudinal bulkhead 7 is braced and strengthened by vertical reinforcing ribs 11 'of similar shape. Also at the top and bottom of the transverse bulkheads 8 are similar ribs 12 joining the bulkheads 8 to the deck 3 and bottom 4; and at the junction of each bulkhead 7 with each transverse bulkhead 8 are reinforcing corners 13. The bulkheads 8 are strengthehedby vertical ribs 14, extending from bottom to deck, and between the ribs 14 on the bulkheads 8 extend h'o'r'iZonta-l beams 15. The ribs 12 are relatively large on both sides of each bulkhead 7 as far as the second rib 14 away from it towards the wings 2, and from thereon to the outboard sides 6 the ribs along the top and bottom bf the bulkheads '8 are somewhat smaller, as shown at 16'.

The tubes 9 are in two tiers, of three each, one tier above the other at each side of the hull; and each tier extends from under the wings towards the central bulkhead 7. The tiers do not reach the bulkhead 7, but termi- 3 nate at the junctions of the large and small ribs 12 and 16, Sections 8a and 8b of the bulkheads 8 between the bulkhead 7 and the two ribs 14- nearest to the bulkhead 7 on each side of the hull are thus left continuous and imperforate and partly enclose larger spaces to be flooded with water, as will appear later.

The deck 3 and bottom 4 are reinforced on the inner lower faces by longitudinal ribs 17 in the vertical plane of the ribs 14 and the lower parts of the bulkheads 3 have openings 18 so that the spaces under each pair of bulkheads 8 below the chambers 9 are all in communica- .tion.

The bottom 4 of each section is reinforced, as indicated at 19, at the corner Where it is joined to the outboard side 6 of each wall 2, and both deck and bottom are similarly reinforced where they join the walls 31.

1 .Horizontal ribs 20 reinforce each outboard side 6 within the dock at the level of the deck 3, and between the deck and bottom; and these walls are further reinforced by vertical ribs 21 in line with the ribs 16. At the level of the deck the ribs 21 and adjacent ribs 26 are .ribs 23, and joined by horizontal ribs 25 which extend longitudinally of the dock and across the extremities 31 of thewalls 2. Near'the tops of the walls 2 are floors 26 to support the machinery for pumping and the top of each wall 2 is closed by a roof 27. Both the roof and the lower side of the floor have reinforcing ribs 25 under them at the sides 5 and 6 and extremities 31 and ribs 28 along the middle. The lower ends of the ribs 24 are joined by ribs 29 over the ribs 23.

The deck 3 is convex or crowned slightly, being highest in the middle above the bulkhead 7, as indicated by the liner30 in Figure l. The .walls 31 at the extremities of the walls 2 and along the adjacent faces of the hulls com plete the enclosing of the interior of the sections, and the ends of the tubular chambers 9 are sealed in each section by the walls 31. The chambers 9 are buoyancy chambers and the flooding chambers are the spaces surrounding the tubular chambers 9 and between the sections 8a and 8b of the bulkheads 8 up to the bulkhead 7, and within the walls 2 up to the floor 26, in each of the sections.

The tubular members 9 can be molded separately and inserted into openings left in the bulkheads 8 and transverse walls 31 and the opposite ends sealed. Or the walls 31 can be added after the members 9 are mounted in the bulkhead 8. Trap doors can, of course, be placed wherever needed to give access to the interior of the members 9.

Under each member 9 in the lower tier nearest to the bulkhead 7 is a web 32 connecting this member to the bottom 4. This web, when the dock is substantially emptyor being pumped out, holds back all water no higher than the lower tier of the members 9; and prevents it, if the dock tilts or rocks, from all collecting near the bulkhead 7 or at one side of the dock. When the dock is being flooded, the water cannot move from side to side till it rises above the level of the member 9 connected to the bottom by this web; but at this stage, suflicient stability is assured.

The concrete throughout is reinforced with steel, in the usual way wherever reinforcement is needed. The entire dock can be of reinforced concrete throughout, or reinforced concrete can be used for the hull only in the separate sections, andsteel or wood can be utilized in building the upright walls 2.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be new is:

1. A section for a floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull, said wing wall being positioned above the deck, a vertical water-tight bulkhead extending longitudinally at the middle of the hull, transverse vertical water-tight bulkheads extending from the longitudinal bulkhead to the sides of the dock beneath said walls, the interior of said wing walls below the top portions thereof communicating with the spaces enclosed by the longitudinal and transverse bulkheads between deck and bottom to form flooding chambers and means forming closed buoyancy chambers supported by the transverse bulkheads in said spaces and above the bottom and below the deck, said buoyancy chambers being disposed in the hull adjacent the wing walls and spaced from said longitudinal bulkhead.

2. A section for a floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing Wall at each side of the hull, said wing wall being positioned above the deck, a vertical longitudinal water-tight bulkhead at the middle of the hull, transverse vertical water-tight bulkheads extending from said longitudinal bulkhead to the sides of the dock beneath said walls, the interior of said wing walls below the top portion thereof and the spaces enclosed by said bulkheads between deck. and bottom forming flooding chambers, and means supported by said transverse bulkheads in said spaces and above the bottom 'and below the deck forming closed tubular buoyancy chambers disposed in said hull adjacent said walls and spaced from said longitudinal bulkhead.

3. A section for a floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull, said wing Wall being positioned above the deck, a vertical longitudinal water-tight bulkhead at the middle of the hull, transverse vertical water-tight bulkheads extending from said longitudinal bulkhead to the sides of the dock beneath said walls, the interior of said wing walls below the top portion thereof and the spaces enclosed by said bulkheads between deck and bottom forming flooding chambers, and means supported by said transverse bulkheads in said spaces and above the bottom and below the deck forming closed tubular buoyancy chambers disposed in said hull adjacent said walls and spaced from said longitudinal bulkhead, said tubular buoyancy chambers being side by side and extending longitudinally of said hull.

4. A section for a floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull, said wing wall being positioned above the deck, a vertical longitudinal water-tight bulkhead at the middle of the hull, transverse vertical water-tight bulkheads extending from said longitudinal bulkhead to the sides of the dock beneath said walls, the interior of said wing walls below the top portion thereof and the spaces enclosed by said bulkheads between deck and bottom forming flooding chambers, and means supported by said transverse bulkheads in said spaces and above the bottom and below the deck forming closed tubular buoyancy chambers disposed in said hull adjacent said walls and spaced from said longitudinal bulkhead, said tubular buoyancy chambers being disposed side by side in two tiers one above the other and extending longitudinally of said hull.

5. A section for a floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull, said wing wall being positioned above the deck, a vertical longitudinal. water-tight bulkhead at the middle of the hull, transverse verticalv water-tight bulkheads extending from said longitudinal bulkhead to the sides of the dock beneath said walls, the interior of said wing walls below the top portion thereof and the spaces enclosed by said bulkheads between deck and bottom forming flooding chambers, and means supported by said transverse bulkheads in said spaces and above the bottom and below the deck forming closed tubular buoyancy chambers disposed in said hull adjacent said walls and spaced from said longitudinal bulkhead, the top portions of said wing walls each having a floor therein extending from the inboard to the outboard sides of said walls.

6. A,floatin g.dry dockhaving apontoon hull with 'deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete, for connection end to ,.end, each section comprising a part of said'hull and wing walls and having walls extendingtransversely of the-dock at the ends c osing ai parts .cf lh rhnllrand wing walls, acentral ave ca bulkhead .in .each section aexten ing l ngthwise of said dock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each section joining the central bulkhead to the outboard faces of said wing walls, the interior of the wing walls below the tops in each section forming with said bulkheads in each section, said transverse walls at the ends of each section and said deck and bottom of each section, chambers to be flooded to submerge the dock and means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom and connected to said transverse walls forming buoyancy chambers in each section, said buoyancy chambers being located adjacent the sides of the dock and spaced from said central bulkheads.

7. A floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete, for connection end to end, each section comprising a part of said hull and wing walls and having walls extending transversely of the dock at the ends closing said parts of the hull and wing walls, a central vertical bulkhead in each section extending lengthwise of said dock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each section joining the central bulkhead to the outboard faces of said wing walls, the interior of the wing walls below the tops in each section forming with said bulkheads in each section, said transverse walls at the ends of each section and said deck and bottom of each section, chambers to u be flooded to submerge the dock, and means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom and connected to said transverse walls forming buoyancy chambers in each section, said buoyancy chambers being located adjacent the sides of the dock and spaced from said central bulkheads, said buoyancy chambers being tubular, and same being directly beneath the wing walls.

8. A floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom, and a wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete for connection end to end, each section comprising a part of said hull and wing walls and having walls extending transversely of the dock at the ends closing said parts of the hull and wing walls, a central vertical bulkhead in each section extending lengthwise of said dock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each section joining the central bulkhead to the outboard faces of said wing walls, the interior of the wing walls below the tops in each section forming with said bulkheads in each section, said transverse walls at the ends of each section and said deck and bottom of each section, chambers to be flooded to submerge the dock, and means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom and connected to said transverse walls forming buoyancy chambers in each section, said buoyancy chambers being located adjacent the sides of the dock and spaced from said central bulkheads, said buoyancy chambers being tubular and extending longitudinally of the dock from one of said transverse walls to the other and closed at their opposite ends.

9. A floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete for connection end to end, each section comprising a part of said hull and wing walls and having walls extending transversely of the dock at the ends closing said parts of the hull and wing walls, a central vertical bulkhead in each section extending lengthwise .ofsaiddock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each sectionljoiningtthe central'bulkhea'd to the outboard faces o'fsai'd wing walls, the interior of the wing walls'below 'thetops'in each sectionforming-with said bulkheads in .each section, said transverse Walls at ,the end of .each section and said deck and bottomof each section, chambers to be flooded to submerge the dock, and -means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom and connected to said transverse walls forming buoyancy chambers in each section, said buoyancy chambers being located adjacent the sides of the dock and spaced from said central bulkheads, said buoyancy chambers being tubular and arranged in two tiers, one above the other, in the hull.

10. A floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete for connection end to end, each section comprising a part of said hull and wing walls and having Walls extending transversely of the dock at the ends closing said parts of the hull and wing walls, a central vertical bulkhead in each section extending lengthwise of said dock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each section joining the central bulkhead to the outboard faces of said wing walls, the interior of the wing walls below the tops in each section forming with said bulkheads in each section, said transverse walls at the ends of each section and said deck and bottom of each section, chambers to be flooded to submerge the dock, and means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom and connected to said transverse walls forming buoyancy chambers in each section, said buoyancy chambers being located adjacent the sides of the dock and spaced from said central bulkheads, the top portions of the parts of the wings of each section having floors therein.

11. A floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete for connection end to end, each section comprising a part of said hull and wing walls and having walls extending transversely of the dock at the ends closing said parts of the hull and wing walls, a central vertical bulkhead in each section extending lengthwise of said dock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each section joining the central bulkhead to the outboard faces of said wing walls, the interior of the wing walls below the tops in each section forming with said bulkheads in each section, said transverse walls at the ends of each section and said deck and bottom of each section, chambers to be flooded to submerge the dock and means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom and connected to said transverse walls forming buoyancy chambers in each section, said buoyancy chambers being located adjacent the sides of the dock and spaced from said central bulkheads, each section having horizontal brace beams connecting the transverse bulkheads.

12. A floating dry dock having a pontoon hull with deck and bottom and a Wing wall at each side of the hull above the deck, said dock comprising sections of molded concrete for connection end to end, each section comprising a part of said hull and wing walls and having walls extending transversely of the dock at the ends closing said parts of the hull and wing walls, a central vertical bulkhead in each section extending lengthwise of said dock, transverse vertical bulkheads in each section joining the central bulkhead to the outboard faces of said wing walls, the interior of' the wing walls below the tops in each section forming with said bulkheads in each section, said transverse walls at the ends of each section, and said deck and bottom of each section, chambers to be flooded to submerge the dock, and means supported by the transverse bulkheads in said chambers between deck and bottom and spaced from said bottom transverse bulkheads having vertical ribs to which said beams are joined.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Long Nov. 13, 1923 Bayley May 15, 1945 

